Tool-handle



(No Model,)

J. S. & J. FRAY.

TOOL HANDLE v Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE9 JOHN S. FRAY AND JAMES FRAY, OF BRIDGEPORT,CONNECTICUI.

TOOL-HANDLE.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,426, dal:ed April.5, 1857.

Application filed August 16, i886.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN S. FRAY and JAMES FRAY, citizens of the UnitedStates, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool-Handles; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to the manufacture of toolhandles, and has for itsobject to improve their construction and mode of operation without inany way increasing the cost of manufacture.

Vith these ends in view we have devised the novel construction of whichthe following description, in connection with the acco1npanyingdrawings, is a specification, numbers being used to indicate the severalparts.

Figure 1 is a central section of the device complete; Fig. 2, across-section of the handle on the line 90 x; and Figs. 3 and 4 are,respectively, plan views of the bottom of the handle, showing thetoolearrying recess, and of the cap or cover therefor inserted.

1 denotes a handle, which is preferably made of wood, and is providedwith an internal recess, 2, which serves as a tool-holder.

3 is the ferruie, and 4 the shank, which is made angular in cross-section or provided with projections, which hold it from turning whendriven into the upper end of the handle, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

5 is the head, and 6 the fixed jaw, both of which are made integral withthe shank. The diameter of the head is slightly greater than that of theshank. In assembling, the shank is driven in until the base of the headrests upon the ferrule, as is clearly shown in Fig.l.

7 is the detached jaw, which oorresponds in shape and size with thefixed jaw. The faces of the two jaws lie parallel with each other, andeach is provided with a recess, 8, slightly enlarged at the bottom, inwhich the tools are clamped when the device is in use.

The peculiarity of our construction is that the head and both jaws areprovided with an external screw-thread, which is engaged by an internalserew-thread upon a sleeve, 9, the construction being such that thesleeve is held Serial No. 210,907. (No model.)

in position by engagement with the portion of the thread upon the fixedjaw and head, and the detached jaw is held in position by engagementwith the screw-thread of the sleeve. The internal screwthread of thesleeve extends from the lower end thereoffor about half of its length,the diameter of the internal re cess beyond the screwthread beingslightly enlarged and the diameter of the jaws being reduced, so thatthere is no engagement between said jaws and sleeve between the ends ofthe screwihreads and inclines 10 upon the outside of the jaws. The jawsprojecta short distance beyond the end of the sleeve and are providedwith enlargements 11, the dametcr of which is sufficient to cause thejaws to be firmly clamped against the shank of a tool by engagement ofthe sleeve with the inclines when the sleeve is turned ontward.

An important result accomplished by our novel construction is that therespective threads of the sleeve and the jaws constitute inclines, whichact to close the base of the detached jaw upon the toolshank at the sameinstant that the outer end of the sleeve is acting on the outer end ofthis jaw. By thus causing both ends of the detached jaw to1i1ove inwardtogether the tool shank is firmly grasped by the entire length of thejaw, which adjusts itself to different sizes and shapes of shanks.

This handle is adapted for all classes of toolssuch, for example, asawls, reamers, screw-drivers, &c. We have not deemed it necessary toillustrate the tools, as they form no portion of our present invention,it being simply necessary that the shanks of the tools should be made tocorrespond,approximately, in shape with the recesses in the jaws, sothat they will be held firmly when the jaws are clamped together. At thebase of the handle we provide an internal screw-thread,l2,which extendsinward a short distance from the out side and terminates abruptly in ash0ulder, 13. The cap 14 is provided with a corresponding externalscrew-thread, which terminates abruptly in shoulder 15.

As stated above, this class of handles is a1- most invariably made ofwood, and considerable trouble has heretofore been caused by theshrinking and swelling of the wood. As these scre w-threads haveheretofore been n1ade ICO when slight swelling of the wood tookplacefrom dampness it was almost impossible to turn ont the cap, and thethreads themselves have frequent] y been broken in loosening andunloosening the cap. These objections are wholly overcome by ourimproved construction, which provides a positive stop-that is, the twoshoulders meet squarely, there being no incline to permit varation withvarying conditions of the woodso that setting of the cap is madeimpossible.

It will of course be understood that the details of construction may beconsiderably varied without dcparting from the spirit of our invention.

We claim- 1. The head, fixed jaw, and detached jaw having an externalscrew-thread, both of said jaws having enlargeme1its 11, withinwardlycnrved inclines 10, in combination with the sleeve havinganinternalscrew-threadadapted to engage the thread upon the jaws andhead, and also engaging the incline of said enlargements, whereby thejaws are closed upon the shank of the tool as the sleeve is turnedoutward.

2. The head, shank, and fixed jaw formed in a single piece and providedwith an external screwthread, and the detached jaw,whose face liesparallel with the fixed jaw and whose back is provided with ascrew-thread, said jaws having at their Outer ends enlargements 11, Withinwardlycurved inclines 10, in combination with a sleeve having aninternal screw-thread a portion of its length, adapted to engage thehead and both jaws, and whose outer end acts to close the jaws byengagement with the inc1nes upon the enlargements.

3. A tool-handle having an internal screwthread at its base terminatingin an abrupt shoulder, 13, in combination with a cap hav ing acorresponding external screw-thread terminating in an abrupt shoulder,15,whereby a positive stop is provided and setting of the cap isprevented.

4. The head and fixed jaw provided with an external screw-thread, and adetached jaw

